Category Archives: How To Guides

One of the things I’m realizing we need to do more of is use the blog to highlight the many different ways people are using Historypin to highlight their work, research and community engagement. I don’t think a lot of people know that you can embed your Historypin content into other sites, highlighting your content with the full functionality of your Historypin Profile, and embedded with a simple code snippet (which you can see in your settings on the top right, “link with my sites,” when you’re logged into your Historypin account, see image inline). So if you already have a website with lots of mappable content about the history of a local community for instance, you can share it on Historypin and enhance your own website to boot!

While it was released over a year ago, I think this is a great example of an embed employed by a website examining some of the stories surrounding the Manhattan Project:

How much does it cost for this incredible service, you ask? Nothing. It’s free, and part of what we provide as part of our mission to help build community around local history. Let us know if you have questions about it in the comments below, or join our Google Group to discuss it with other community leaders.

You can sign up using a Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or email address. If you sign up with an email address, you will receive an email from Historypin. Please click on the link to the verify your account.

Here is a short video walking you through the steps.

NB. please make sure you have the Youtube captions turned ‘on’. To do this play the video and hover your mouse over the settings in the bottom left hand corner of the video and click the box between the clock icon and the cog icon.

Step 2: Adding details to your profile on Historypin

1. Make sure you are logged in

2. Click ‘My Profile’ in the top right hand corner of your screen

3. Click on ‘Profile and Account Settings’

4. Click ‘Profile Info’ – here you can add your project name and write a short description about your project. Don’t forget to click ‘Save Changes’

There are many ways to participate in our Year of the Bay project, celebrating the diverse history of the San Francisco Bay. Here are just a few:

Pin photos, video, or audio (and start your own channel!)

Be sure to use the “Pin your memories” button on Year of the Bay’s homepage in order for your content to appear in the project.

The "Pin Your Memories" button on the Year of the Bay homepage

Anything you post through Year of the Bay will automatically appear in your own (customizable!) Channel, which houses all of your content.

Example Channel, from the San Francisco Public Library

If you’ve already started a channel and want to add its content, email Kerri at kerri.young@wearewhatwedo.org and we’ll migrate it for you into Year of the Bay.

Solve a History Mystery

…or two, or three, or all of them! If you have expert knowledge about a certain place, time, or topic, share it by identifying the location, year, or subject of some photos. You can also help by overlaying photos to the modern day Google Street View. Find these under the “Mysteries” tab on the Year of the Bay main page. Just login to your Historypin account, choose a mystery from the list, and press “Solve.” The original pinner will be notified of your change, and can accept or deny your suggestion.

Mysteries you can help solve on the Year of the Bay homepage

Suggest more accurate details

If you believe you see incorrect information on a photo, please use the “Suggest more accurate details” feature found on each pin. Anything you suggest will be seen by the original pinner.

"Suggest more accurate details" button on each pin

Add comments, suggestions, and share your story

The Comments and Stories tab of a pin

You might have a story directly related to some pinned content. We’d love to have you share it under the “Comments and suggestions” tab found on each pin.

Host a pinning event

Get together with friends and family, share photos and stories, then add them to Year of the Bay!

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If you have any further questions, contact Kerri at kerri.young@wearewhatwedo.org.

And if that wasn’t enough, we heard from our friends over at the Bright Ideas Blog, which is a fantastic resource from the School Library Association of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria. It turns out they’ve used Storify to create an embeddable resource guide on how to get started pinning on Historypin, full of all sorts of video tips on using our site! Thanks for creating such a great resource–you guys are the best! We’ve embedded the videos below–very clever!

Using Historypin in the classroom? Running a Historypin workshop with local archives? Or just want some tips on navigating the site?

Our series of How To Videos will help guide you through everything, including creating an account, pinning a photo and navigating the map. Find them on our YouTube Channel, or on the Historypin How To page where you can also find free downloadable pdf guides.